


Just Know

by buckysbears (DrZebra)



Series: Let Us Love [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pride Parade, Queer Character, adoption au, childhood AU, mama may
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 21:30:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11135067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrZebra/pseuds/buckysbears
Summary: A confession is made.The family celebrates Pride.





	Just Know

**Author's Note:**

> okay so this came from one of the pride prompts i'm taking on tumblr: "Anybody in adoption au telling momma May that they're not straight"
> 
> take this as canon or dont cause i'm probably never gonna address this fic again in canon (likely because the chronology is gonna start going backwards), but i couldnt help but post it on here cause i had so much fun writing it!!

Eleven-year-old Jemma paces back and forth in the living room, her breathing measured, her hands wringing. She thought about just telling May first, or telling Fitz, but she wants this out in the open. It’s easiest to just rip it off like a bandaid.

“Is it something bad?” Skye asks nervously, sat between May and Fitz on the couch. Antoine is sitting in the recliner, rocking it back and forth.

“No,” Jemma quickly says, then stops, winces, and keeps pacing. “I mean, I- I don’t think so.”

“Whatever it is,” May says, “we’ll deal with it as a family.”

“I don’t know if it’s something to be ‘dealt with’ per se.”

“Okay—”

“It’s just- I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.”

“Spit it _out_ , Jem,” Skye whines, sliding down into a slump. “Fairly OddParents is about to come on.”

Fitz smacks her lightly. “Sh-She can take her time.”

Jemma shoots him a grateful smile, and then stops pacing, facing them all. “Okay. Okay, well, see—” She lets out a small huff, gives a decisive nod, and then continues, “There’s this girl I like.”

She’s met with blank stares, and she shakes her head and starts again.

“I mean- Really like.” She motions with her hands. “ _Like_ like.”

“Oh,” May says.

Jemma continues before anyone can say any more, “And it hasn’t just been a one-time thing. It’s happened before, this isn’t just an isolated incident or anything. I put the evidence together and I came to the conclusion that I like girls.”

“So—” May starts.

“So you’re gay?” Antoine asks.

“No,” Jemma says. “I like boys, too. I’m- um—” She puffs herself up a bit, ready to take whatever might come. “I’m bi.”

“What’s that mean?” Fitz asks, his brows scrunching together.

“ _Well_ —”” Jemma starts, in that tone that means she’s about to start rambling.

“It means you like boys and girls,” May cuts her off before she can begin. “Thank you for telling us, Jemma. I know this must’ve been really scary for you, and I’m proud that you shared it with us. And—”

“Wait, wait—” Fitz holds up his hands, face still screwed up in confusion. “You can like b-boys _and_ girls?”

Jemma rolls her eyes. “Of course, Fitz, don’t be daft.”

“Well I- I thought you had to- um- I don’t know. Ch-Choose, or something.”

Jemma opens her mouth, but May is the one who speaks. “Why did you think that?”

Fitz gapes for a moment, then shrugs. “Vinnie from school s-said it meant I don’t like girls.”

“What doesn’t?” May asks.

“Th-That … I’ve got a crush on a boy,” Fitz mumbles, head ducked.

Jemma’s face lights up. “You like a boy?”

“M-Maybe,” Fitz says, face bright red.

“Who?” Jemma and Antoine ask at the same time.

Fitz whispers something, and they all lean in.

“What?” Jemma asks.

“Mack,” Fitz says a little louder.

Antoine beams. “Aw man, that’s great. Good choice, he’s a good guy.”

“But you like girls too?” Jemma asks.

Fitz shrugs a little, looking down at his fingers as he tugs at them. “W-Well … I don’t know. This i-is my first crush.”

“You don’t have to know yet,” May says. “You’re still young, you have a lot of time to figure this out.”

“Jemma’s got it figured out,” Fitz mutters a little ruefully.

May shakes her head. “You can’t compare yourself to other people with this. Everyone’s different, and everyone’s experience is going to be different. You might figure it out soon, or in a few years, or when you’re older. Or you might never put a label on it. And that’d all be okay. This is a really personal thing, and how you approach it is up to you.”

“So, uh …” Antoine raises a hand to scratch over his short, tight curls. “Would this be a good time to tell everyone that I have a boyfriend?”

May has done a good job keeping her face fairly neutral, but no one else has. Jemma is beaming, and Fitz’s eyes have gone wide.

“Who?” Jemma almost yells.

Antoine grins. “Luke from karate class.”

“Isn’t he the one that f-flipped you?” Fitz asks.

“Yeah, but I talked to him about it afterwards and he’s cool. He asked me at his birthday party.”

Jemma claps. “Have you been on a date?”

“We stand together in class.”

Jemma considers, and then shrugs. “I suppose that counts.”

As if one, all of their gazes find Skye, waiting for another shoe to drop.

She doesn’t look at them, just sits, slumped, with her arms crossed, staring at the blank TV screen.

“It’s a new episode.”

“What?” Jemma asks.

“Fairly OddParents,” Skye states glumly. “It’s a new episode. It’s probably already started.”

May holds in a laugh. “Would you like to watch it now, Skye?”

Skye nods.

“Okay. We can table the rest of this discussion for a later date.”

Skye bounds for the remote, and as she turns it on Fitz looks over to May nervously.

“So you’re …” His mouth twists. “You’re- like- okay? With all of this?”

Jemma thinks there’s something hidden in May’s smile, but May just says, “Believe me, I am,” and leaves it at that.

-

Pride in their town is small. Tiny. More a gathering of a few families than anything else. They’ll start at the public library, march down 10th Avenue, then down Main Street, and finish the short march at Shipley Do-Nuts.

Jemma is practically buzzing with excitement as May fills up the meter for the van in the lot near the library. Fitz has a nervous air about him, which doesn’t seem helped at all by the fact that Jemma holds his hand the whole walk there. Antoine has picked out an outfit of a pink t-shirt, blue slacks, and a purple bandana, just for the occasion. Skye is just glum that there won’t be any floats.

It’s maybe about 35 people that show up for the march, but they’re sporting flags, signs, and colorful clothing. There are only a few other kids, but that doesn’t seem to deter any of May’s. Jemma bounds up to the crowd, grinning widely. A few of the adults turn as she approaches, one of which May knew would be there.

“Well, if it isn’t Melinda May.”

May smiles, because it’s been long enough that there aren’t any more hurt feelings here.

“Victoria.”

The kids look between them, silent.

“You know, I’d heard you’d adopted a brood, but I didn’t quite believe it.”

Jemma sticks out her hand primly. “I’m Jemma. One of the brood.”

Victoria laughs as she shakes it. “Very nice to meet you, Jemma. Are you here to support your mom?”

Jemma turns and blinks back at her owlishly, eyes wide and curious. But May just smiles.

“Here to support them,” she says.

Victoria looks a little surprised, but she doesn’t comment on it. “Do you guys want some pins? We have extras.”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Jemma says.

Jemma and Antoine take two of the bi flag pins and pin them on their shirts. Fitz turns them down, hovering near the back. Skye takes a look at the selection and immediately chooses the rainbow one, grinning widely.

Victoria picks one up and holds it out for May. Only somewhat reluctantly, May takes it and pins it to her shirt.

The march starts, and Antoine pushes Fitz to the front of the crowd. Fitz seems shy at first, but eventually starts waving to cars that honk. Skye and Jemma hang in the back with May, Skye clinging to her hand, but seeming to have a good time. Jemma takes a peek at the pin May wears, and May would swear there’s an extra spring in her step.

“So,” Jemma says.

“What?” May asks, fondly cautious.

“The axe. It means lesbian, right?”

May nods. “That’s right.”

“Okay.” Jemma tries to stifle her grin, unsuccessfully. “Cool.”

The march is short. It’s more symbolic than anything, and a chance for the small community to get together. The lunch at Shipley’s lasts longer than the actual parade, and May is proud that the kids all seem to be emboldened by the whole event. Fitz is even talking to one of the other children, a happy blush on his cheeks.

May has to carry Skye back, though she’s really too old to be being carried, and it means May will probably have to use her cane tomorrow. But Skye’d had more donuts than May probably should’ve let her have, and she’s fast asleep by the time they make it back to the van.

The ride home is quiet, but peacefully so. Skye sleeps the whole way, and Antoine nudges her awake when they get home, and helps her out of her booster seat (which she says she’s getting too old for).

The keys clatter onto the kitchen table where May drops them as they step inside, and she’s about to turn and ask what they’d all like for dinner when a pair of arms wraps around her waist.

Jemma is clinging to her, face pressed against May’s spine.

“Thanks for bringing us,” she says, and then Antoine joins in on the hug, then Fitz, and finally a groggy Skye.

May smiles, and wonders how she got so lucky.

“Anytime.”

**Author's Note:**

> "anybody" anon said. how about EVERYONE CAUSE NO ONE CAN STOP ME   
> (literally drunk with power from all these pride prompts guys. keep em coming)


End file.
